Two Sons
by StatsGrandma57
Summary: Luke has arrived to hopefully help Ben Solo heal.
TWO SONS

Leia had finally convinced Han to spend the night at home. The previous evening, when she'd gone to see Ben, she realized her son was looking healthier than her husband, which was a dubious accomplishment. She swore Han had aged five years in the last five days. Ben had even told Han that really, he was tired of the old man's snoring, which was as close to humor as the boy had gotten in recent history.

She'd tucked Han in bed, ashen-faced and red-eyed, and he'd gone to sleep before she could command the lights off. The rest of the evening had felt perfectly normal; Jana fussed over her homework and Kira demanded hugs and attention and insisted that Leia play with her. However, once she'd gotten her two daughters into bed, she'd only gotten as far as flipping on the holovision before she'd promptly crashed. The pressures of work, the stress of trying to keep the girls on an even keel despite the uproar in the household, and feeling her son's pain had worn her thin as a used flimsy. Spot had jumped into her lap, and that, along with the soft glow of the holovision, was all it took to knock her out for the night.

By the time she woke, daylight was starting to creep up, over, and around the endless towers and spires of Coruscant. There wasn't much light, but the pale streams let Leia know that it might be a good time to take a shower and get ready for the day. It was rare that she had quiet time in the morning; she was determined to take advantage of it before the day's drama got underway. Hauling herself off the couch, Leia headed for the 'fresher. She paused in the darkened bedroom just long enough to give her still sleeping husband a feather-light kiss on the lips as she passed by.

 _And it was going to be_ _a_ _dramatic_ _day,_ she groaned, as she allowed herself the luxury of taking her time as she washed and conditioned her hair. Too many mornings she had to rush through the ritual, or settle for a quick sonic shower, which she'd always disliked. It reminded her of being on the front lines in war, and that was an experience she didn't care to repeat.

Today, however, she would be fighting one of the hardest battles she'd ever had to—the fight for her son's life, and what would become of it.

And her brother would be there.

Things had been strained between herself and Luke ever since she and Han had delayed their son's Jedi training. It had been nothing that had caused them not to speak with one another, but Luke had disagreed with their decision to not allow Ben to begin training sooner. They'd finally only consented when Ben was already spinning out of control; then the training had been an abysmal failure. And she was painfully aware of Luke's feelings toward her unwillingness to be trained in the ways of the Force herself, as well.

The only thing that had kept them on a civil footing was Eimear, Luke's wife. Eimear respected her

choices, and was more tempered in her approach to Force sensitivity. Eimear had more than once indicated that not all who could be trained should be. She'd never spoken the words to Leia, but the implication was clear: she was uncertain that Ben was a good candidate.

Leia felt a closeness with Eimear that she couldn't explain at the moment. It went beyond Force sensitivity sharing. Something had shifted...but not in a negative way. Something they could share was occurring, even if she didn't know what it was.

She smoothed on the laudalum-scented lotion that Han had brought back from a recent run to Cularin. Nenmo was aware of Leia's love for the scent of the flowers from her homeworld, and anytime he was able to obtain some, he held on to it for the woman that had stolen Han Solo's heart.

As she returned to their bedroom, dressing herself in a comfortable skirt and soft shirt, she noted that the bed was empty. Now she could hear sounds and smells emanating from the kitchen-kaf brewing, Han talking to the girls, Jana grumbling about getting ready for school and Kira giggling. Joining her family, Leia couldn't help but smile as she saw Jana sullenly eat her breakfast; she'd repeatedly told her parents, 'I'm not a morning person!' There was Han in his favorite, tattered robe, his hair sticking out in all directions, and carrying Kira on his shoulder as he prepared to seat her into her booster chair. It all felt so wonderfully normal.

"Well, don't you look nice," Han commented as Leia headed for the brewer and helped herself to a mug of kaf.

Leia gazed up at her husband, who looked more rested than he had the previous night. She was glad she'd insisted he sleep.

"Flatterer," she teased him, but tipped her head back to receive a kiss from him. Han happily obliged her with a long, slow kiss.

Jana made a face. "You two are disgusting."

"I'll check back with you in a few years," Han said jokingly to his eldest daughter, who glared mightily at him. This made Han laugh even more; Jana's look could have killed a gundark. Much as Han disliked mornings, he couldn't help but kid around with Jana.

Fortunately, Leia knew that after a couple of hours, Jana's foul mood would generally pass and she'd become a delightful young girl, as typical as an intelligent ten-year-old could be. At least she was predictable.

 _Unlike her older brother,_ Leia sighed to herself. Today was going to be difficult.

"I'm going to go get beautiful," Han informed Leia with a crooked grin, using the words she so

often did.

"Corrective surgery takes longer than you've got," Leia shot back dryly, giving a taunting smile in return. That even got a laugh out of Jana, although she quickly reverted to form. The scene was comforting to Leia; it was how things should be. Kira was giggling and making a mess of her food.

It was going to be a trying day; Leia would take it where she could.

Her comm went off, and she groaned. _I've told everyone I'll be off today,_ she thought crossly, but she grabbed it to see what the latest crisis was.

To her surprise, it was Luke.

"I thought you were meeting us at the medcenter," slipped out of Leia's mouth, before she could stop herself.

Luke smiled at her. "Good morning to you, too. I got in early. I didn't feel like getting stuck in Coruscant's rush time." Luke hated Coruscant, almost as much as Han did.

"Come on up," she said, relieved that her brother seemed calm and friendly. She knew that it might not last as the day progressed, but she really hated fighting with him. The tension between them drained her, but she wasn't feeling that from him today. Leia punched in the security clearance codes that would grant him access to their apartment.

"What's Uncle Luke doing here?" Jana demanded upon hearing her uncle's voice over the comm. She was extremely fond of Luke, but she wasn't about to be agreeable as she left the table to assemble her carry bag of school items-and to find the proper sweater and matching headband—which at times involved some degree of drama.

"He's going to the medcenter with your father and me today," Leia explained to her.

"What? To see Ben? Good luck," Jana snorted as she headed for her bedroom.

"Wan' see Benny!" Kira told her mother, smiling and kicking her legs under the table.

"Ben's sick, sweetie," Leia explained to her as the eight-bell chime went off, meaning Luke was at the door.

"Wan' see Benny!" Kira insisted. Kira was a pleasant child, but a stubborn one.

"Leia," Luke said, taking his sister in his arms. He seemed to be in a suspiciously good mood. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," she responded, and meant it. Right now, things had shifted, and her brother's presence was comforting, not irritating. "Come and join the insanity. There's kaf in the brewer."

"Unka Luke!" Kira chirped happily, holding out her arms and letting her uncle pick her up.

"Hey, there, little one," Luke said, grinning as he picked up his little niece. "You're getting awfully big!" Kira thought this was hysterical and laughed accordingly. He carried the child into the living room and sat down on the floor with her.

Han burst out of the bedroom, hair still wet and sticking out everywhere, shirt half unbuttoned and fully untucked. "Hey, Kid," Han called to him. Luke would forever, in Han's mind, be The Kid.

Jana popped out of her room, apparently having been successful in locating what she considered to be proper accessories. "Who's taking me to school?" she demanded.

"I'll take you," Luke offered.

"Jana, say good morning to your uncle," Leia reminded her sternly.

"Morning," Jana mumbled. She studied her uncle carefully. "No lectures on the Force, right?"

Luke laughed. "No, I'll just be quiet and then I won't get killed."

Jana actually smiled. "Finally, somebody gets it!"

"You sure?" Leia asked her brother.

"How often do I get to take my niece to school? Ready, Jana?"

"No!"

"We're going, anyway," Luke chuckled.

"You sound just like my dad," Jana grumbled as they departed.

"I'll meet you guys at the medcenter," Luke told Han and Leia as he and Jana exited the apartment.

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Luke was prepared for Jana's silence, so he was surprised when she spoke up.

"I'm tired of my parents being all about Ben," she grumbled.

"Yeah, I think they're tired of it, too," Luke concurred, sensing full well the pain and frustration his sister and brother-in-law were enduring. He could deeply feel Jana's frustration, anger, and uncertainty as well. She didn't hate her brother; she was angry at him for messing up her life. Luke could feel that she wanted Ben to be well, but she was irritated with the process, which could be expected from a ten-year-old who was missing parental involvement at the moment.

"Like my dad spends all his time with Ben, and my mom goes after work, and like I think Chewie's great and all, but I'd like it if they, you know, paid attention to me once in a while." Jana crossed her arms over her chest and glowered.

"Well, one of the reasons I came today was to talk to Ben about helping him get well," Luke explained as he navigated the rental speeder through Coruscant traffic. His piloting skills remained intact, which was fortunate; one needed quick reflexes, not to mention considerable patience, to deal with the clots of speeders, hovercabs, and other vehicles taking up space aboveground.

"You doing a Force healing? Good luck," Jana retorted.

"Actually, it might be something a little more drastic," Luke mentioned.

"Like what?" Jana demanded.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now," Luke said to her. "It's...difficult."

"Yeah, tell me about difficult," Jana sulked. "So if it's so difficult, how come you're so happy?"

"Well, you're the first to find out," Luke said, his smile broadening. "Your aunt and I are having another baby. A boy."

"Great. Wonder what Rey thinks of that?"

"She's not thrilled right now," Luke admitted. "But he's not going to be Force-sensitive."

Jana eyed her uncle skeptically. "You and Aunt Eimear are having a baby that doesn't have the Force? Weird."

Luke shrugged. "I'm just happy I'm going to have another child. I love being a dad. I know your dad does, too." He eased the speeder next to the walkway to Jana's school. "Hang in there, kiddo."

Jana leapt from the vehicle, and upon spotting her friends, suddenly burst into smiles and laughter.

Luke shook his head and took a deep breath. Children would always be both a delight and a puzzle to him, no matter how many he had-or trained.

 _Now for the hard part,_ he thought.

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"Wan' see Benny!" Kira continued to protest as Han strapped her into the speeder.

"Ben can't have company, sweetie," Leia explained. "You need to go to child care."

"No! Wan' Benny!" Kira demanded loudly. She was kicking her little legs and her protests increased in volume. Then the tears began to stream down her face. "Miss Benny!"

Han glanced over at Leia. "She's good," Han admitted. "She sure knows how to work it."

Leia could feel her baby girl's pain; it was real. She missed her older brother. Granted, he could have badly injured her, but in general, she was the person Ben was most comfortable with. And she'd clearly gotten over the horrible night.

"Maybe seeing Kira would make Ben feel more at ease," Leia suggested quietly.

"Are you kidding? He nearly killed her!" Han hissed. "I wouldn't let him anywhere-"

Leia squared herself in front of Han and glared at him. "Han, enough! Ben is generally very good with Kira. He's not in good spirits. She adores him and it might cheer him up, and maybe make him more receptive to..."

Han sighed. He hated losing arguments to Leia. Of course, he should have been used to it by now.

"Okay. But he gets the least bit rough with her, his ass gets kicked across the room," Han said severely, muttering a few choice Corellian curse words as he proceeded to take on the insanity that was Coruscant's morning commute.

The day loomed heavily over him, and he thought, _I've got a bad feeling about this._

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The three arrived at the medcenter, where speeder parking was always a challenge. This did nothing to improve Han's mood; he was worried about Kira, worried about Ben, worried about Leia, and wondering what the hells Luke had in mind.

"I hate this place," Leia said quietly as Han lifted Kira from her baby seat and carried her towards the medcenter, Leia keeping pace with his long strides.

"Tell me about it," Han snorted as they entered the lobby. Luke was there, waiting for them, and he

smiled at them both. There was a calmness about him today, at least for the moment.

"Wan' see Benny!" Kira started up again.

Han shrugged as he set the toddler on the floor. "You can't run in here," Han admonished her, although he added under his breath, "unless it's to get the hells out as fast as you can."

"I think bringing Kira was a good idea," Luke said to Han and Leia as the three adults made sure that Kira did not engage in any extraordinary destruction. "She calms him."

"Not the night we brought him here," Han growled.

"I think that was a psychotic break," Luke told them. "Eimear's been studying."

"So did Jana treat you to sullen silence on the way to school?" Leia asked her brother. "Which, by the way, we very much appreciate you doing."

"She was actually quite chatty. She's angry and frustrated and feels as if she isn't getting any attention, and she felt safe telling me that," Luke said, his voice level and gentle.

"That's because she isn't getting any attention," Leia said unhappily. "We're going to need some retail therapy, and soon." Shopping was one of their favorite forms of being together; it generally involved a nice lunch and sometimes getting manicures.

"I'll never understand retail therapy," Han grumbled, and Leia laughed.

"Says the man who can spend hours buying tools," she chuckled.

"That's different. I need those tools," Han reminded them, perhaps more defensively than necessary. Leia and Luke hid their smirks. Han and Leia then grew sober, and Han grabbed Kira as she went for the remote that controlled the holovision in the lobby. She protested as Han picked her up again, and her father's patting her back did not placate her.

"I have something to tell you," Luke announced as they headed for the psychiatric area of the medcenter.

"That's why you're here, isn't it?" Han said, eyeing his brother-in-law with a bit of impatience. Whatever was going to happen, he wanted to get moving on it. Han Solo was a man of action.

"Well, this isn't about Ben. It's about Eimear and me. We're expecting again." A huge grin and a hint of a blush spread over Luke's face.

"Congratulations! Now you'll have two Force monsters!" Han kidded, but his delight for Luke was

genuine. Luke and Han had both taken deeply and instantly to fatherhood, and it was evident that Luke was thrilled.

"Actually, no," Luke said. "It's a boy, and he's not Force-sensitive." The smile never left his face.

"Seriously?" Han was incredulous. Kira wasn't Force-sensitive, but his genes had come into play, so he and Leia not having a Force-sensitive baby had totally been in the realm of possibility.

"And that doesn't bother you?" Leia asked gently, realizing that she couldn't sense the least bit of disappointment from her brother.

"I'm just looking forward to being a dad again. And having a son," Luke agreed.

"With any luck, we'll have two non-Force sensitive sons," Han said, his tone becoming sober.

"We need to talk about that," Luke said, and had turned serious as well. "But let me see Ben first."

Han and Leia looked at each other. They never knew which son they were going to get.

And they were ready to have just one. A healthy one, and maybe, someday, one who could be happy.


End file.
